Fantasy Football: Out on a Limb 2009, Volume Four

Time for another edition of Fantasy Football Out on a Limb, in which I scour the rosters to select a player who I feel will outperform a higher profile player in that given week.

I base my decisions on matchups, how the players are trending, and the ever-important hunch. To mix things up I’ll occasionally do some two-on-one matchups or even pit RB or WR duos against each other. Sometimes I’ll spot a player some points.

Scoring
6 points for rushing or receiving TD
4 points for a passing TD
0.1 points per yard for rushing or receiving
0.05 points per passing yard.

Last Week:
Trent Edwards vs. Matt Ryan – Loss.  Edwards 9.1, Ryan 9.85
Fred Jackson vs. Frank Gore – Win.  Jackson 9.7, Gore 0.4.  Injuries are part of the game.
Willis McGahee vs. Cedric Benson – Win. McGahee 18.7, Benson 14.1
Roy Williams vs. Dwayne Bowe – Incomplete.  Bowe didn’t play.
Eddie Royal vs. Jerricho Cotchery – Loss.  Royal 0.4, Cotchery 16.8
SS:  Anthony Fasano +2 vs. Owen Daniels – Loss.  Fasano 2, Daniels 9.8

Regular Picks:  2-2
Super Stretch Picks: 0-1
Overall:  2-3

Season Record
Regular Picks: 5-9
Super Stretch Picks:  0-3
Overall: 5-12

Week 4 Picks

Quarterback
 
Carson Palmer over Philip Rivers
These young QBs possess two of the best arms in the game.  When healthy they both can make all of the throws.  While Rivers is the better of the two, his matchup against a bitter Pittsburgh team on primetime leads me to believe that Palmer, who is facing Cleveland, will win this battle.

Running Backs
 
Glen Coffee over Willie Parker
Coffee struggled a bit replacing Frank Gore, but he was taking on one of the top run defenses in the league without much prep time.  Now that he has a week to work with the first team offense, and a much better matchup against St. Louis, I think he’ll have a nice week.  Willie Parker is coming off a big game, but he’ll face a tough test against San Diego.

Cedric Benson over Steven Jackson
Benson should also rip the Brownies apart.  Largely taken as a RB3, Benson is solidifying his role as a legit RB2.  S-Jax is a one man wrecking crew in St. Louis, but there’s only so much he can do, especially when facing a good Niners D.  They will stuff the box and force Boller to beat them without his top WR.

Wide Receivers
 

Donald Driver over Marques Colston
Driver has been hot the past couple weeks and will get plenty of looks in what should be a shootout in the Packers' Grudge Match against Minnesota on MNF.  Colston is also off to a fast start, but will be blanketed by Darrelle Revis this week as the Saints take on the Jets.

 
Kevin Walter over Braylon Edwards
Walter goes up against Oakland and should get plenty of looks with Andre Johnson garnering Nnamdi Asomugha’s attention and Owen Daniels working the middle of the field.  Braylon looked like a cream puff matchup at the beginning of the year, but my have things changed.  The Bengals are playing great D and Leon Hall has been playing lights out.

SUPER STRETCH
 
Josh Johnson over Matt Cassel
The Super Stretch picks have failed miserably this year, but I’m heading back out there anyway.  Johnson unseated Byron Leftwich and will get a shot at Washington, who is in complete disarray.  He didn’t look good in relief of Leftwich last week, but should look better with practice time under his belt.  Cassel is finding life a bit more challenging outside of Foxboro. Going up against the Giants, even at home, is a tall order.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com.